Smartphones go high-tech in combatting theft

Police say this man is the suspect in the robbery Wednesday in a parking lot on the Northeast Side.

La Vorne Lee Bennett. Photo/ Bexar County Sheriff’s Office

Potential smartphone thieves beware: If you steal one of these, chances are pretty good you've already been tracked by a GPS or taken a “selfie” picture, and the law is going to find you.

Just ask La Vorne Lee Bennett, who is accused of luring a 21-year-old man to a parking lot in the 2000 block of Austin Highway on the Northeast Side to rob him, according to a police report.

Police said the victim had gone to meet a man who had advertised a iPhone 5S for $200, but the man told the victim he didn't have the phone with him. The man then arranged to meet the victim an hour later at a parking lot near a meat market, police said.

During their second encounter, the man got in the victim's car, pulled out a Glock pistol and demanded money. While the victim was trying to hand over his money, the gunman grabbed the victim's iPhone 4 from a cup holder in the center console, police said.

Shortly after the robbery, the victim bought a new cellphone. While downloading photos from his old phone that were stored on iCloud to his new phone, the victim saw several photos that the thief apparently had taken of himself, and the victim sent the photos to police, who created a Crime Stoppers media release using those “selfies.” Police were able to match a mug shot they had on file for Bennett to the selfies taken on the stolen phone. Bennett was arrested Tuesday and charged with aggravated robbery. As of Friday afternoon, he was being held without bail in Bexar County Jail.

Technology has dramatically improved as companies and consumers continue to go high-tech to combat theft with downloadable apps designed to help find smartphones and other mobile devices. App creators have tried to cash in on the protection-and-recovery market with multiple paid and free options available. Police departments, too, are able to use apps to track down smart devices.

Teresa Brewer, an employee for Apple, said the new operating system, the iOS7, has a Activation Lock self-defense system designed to “make it more difficult for anyone else to use or sell” Apple products should they ever be lost, she said. Apple also offers the Find My iPhone program that, once activated, allows the owner to store their password-protected information in iCloud and find their device.

In Austin, police also have used technology to track suspects.

“We have used smartphone apps to track down phones taken in robberies, with great success,” said Blake Johnson, a member of the Austin Police Department who works robberies, adding, “This is of course when the app is installed and running.”

Although the apps have been a help, Johnson cautions that they are not a guarantee that lost phones will lead to recovery every time.

Both San Antonio police and Austin police agreed people can better avoid becoming robbery victims by practicing good general safety guidelines and being aware of their surroundings, not having their head “buried in their phones.”

SAPD recommends that all property be labeled and engraved with identifiable information or markings, but on the basic level, Sandy Gutierrez, an SAPD spokeswoman, said the best bet is to “follow your instincts” in questionable situations.